Professor Jack

[Karina Bass]

Dear Professor Jack Hewer, (although I suppose you're used to being called just Professor Jack, by me)

I hope you're having a fabulous summer! I really do miss the common room though, don't you? I guess you're lucky because you can visit it whenever you feel like it. How are your brothers and sister? Still yummy looking?  Doing well?

I'm writing to you on the insistence of my mother, although she has no idea that I'm not sending what I'm meant to be sending. So if you could do me a huge favor, and if she were to ever, ever ask you, could you confirm that I did indeed write to you asking what I can do for extra credit and to improve my grades at school?

But school is essentially what I'm writing to you about. I don't want to improve my grades, so I'm not going to ask for extra credit work. I'm asking to find out what exactly I'm supposed to do when everybody is off deciding what they want to do with their NEWTs. Because I don't need NEWTs to do what I want I want to do, although my parents would be terribly upset if I were to leave Hogwarts. Not to mention, I don't really want to leave my friends behind. Where else will I ever find a better head of house, eh?

In all seriousness, though, how bad would it be if I were to do very badly in all my NEWTs? They wouldn't really hold me back, would they?

- Karina Bass.

[Jack Hewer]

Dear Karina,

I'm having a wonderful summer, thank you - I hope you're enjoying yours too! I definitely could visit the common room, but I think that might be a little sad for me to be there all alone, don't you?

My family is very well, thank you, I trust yours is too! I hope that brother of yours isn't getting himself into too much trouble.

I'm about to tell you something I doubt you want to hear: your mother has a point! You're at school anyway, so you might as well give the exams your best shot, right? Not having them may very well set you back in the future if you change your mind about your career plans, whereas putting one single year of hard work in may very well give you years of security in the future. I am extremely determined that none of my Gryffindors bomb out when they have the potential to achieve as much as you! If it's not too uncool for you to be seen in public with a teacher, how about you let me know if you're planning a trip to Diagon Alley at any point, and I could meet you in the Tamarisk Tree for a coffee and a rousing pep talk? You are very bright, Miss Bass, and I'm very keen for you not to throw away all your potential!

Best wishes,
Professor Hewer

[Karina Bass]

Professor Jack Hewer,

Yes, it's so much fun! Oh, I didn't think of that - although the house elves seem to be nice company. But you didn't hear that from me, right?

If my brother isn't getting himself into trouble, then he isn't really my brother, is he? But no, as far as I know, nothing that warrants adult style detention. He's just minding his business. In fact, your brother, Rupert, seems to be doing a decent job at making sure he and their friends don't do anything silly. He's a smart one, he is. I ran into him just yesterday, when I was visiting Kieran.

Oh dear, you sound just like my mum and dad. I completely understand what you're saying! But I'm so, so sure that the subjects I'm doing right now, are not something I want to deal with when I grow up. I mean...I don't even like them much, no offense. If Hogwarts had an arts program, I'd definitely sign up! But I suppose it wouldn't be a school of witchcraft and wizardry then. Those Muggle schools (universies? units? They're called something like that, right?) seem so appealing. Don't tell my mother I said that!
No, no, you're too hot fun a professor to be uncool with. I'd love to meet you. This Saturday afternoon? Around 1 o clock, or so?

Do you really think I have potential?

- Karina Bass

[Jack Hewer]

Dear Karina,

I'm so glad. And of course not - I tell you, if I repeated half of the things you lot told me that I'm not supposed to, I'd have enough secrets to keep me talking until I'm fifty.

That's very true. Rupert's friendship group as a whole seem to be particularly good at getting themselves into all sorts of trouble - it would alarm me if they weren't quite so funny. I do hope Rupert doesn't tell you too many embarrassing stories about me - I have a reputation to consider after all!

I won't push clichés or exhortations on you now - you can look forward to those on Saturday (which suits me perfectly, by the way). I have got a couple of ideas that I think might help you, but it probably makes more sense to save those up. I'll see you at 1 on Saturday!

Of course I do, Karina. You're smart and talented and confident; you're going to go a long way in the world whichever direction you decide to go in.

Regards,
Professor Hewer

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I'll go start the thread now if that's okay with you!